May 2015

The Chinese Notebook by Demosthenes Agrafiotis (Erato Publications 1988) after its translation and publication in English (Chinese Notebook, Ugly Duckling Presse 2010, translation by John Sakkis and Angelos Sakkis) and in French (Cahier Chinois, Les Editions [0] 2008, translation by Michele Valley), is now being issued by Vakxikon.gr Publications in a bi-lingual edition in Chinese and English as an e-book. So the title that came about from the conventional Chinese notebook (black and red) where the poems of this book were first written down, finally meets, even if partially, its cultural origin.
In this book the poetics of the alphabet interfaces with the poetics of the ideogram, and the search for ways of living is articulated along with its relation to the prevailing models of globalisation, the particular interlinking of the technologies of (mis)communication with all expressions of everyday life and the investigation of the cultural trajectory of technologically advanced societies. Finally, these poems also trace the formation and dissolution of interpersonal relations in a contemporary world, which is oriented toward a more and more uncertain future.
The translation to Chinese was made by Anne Hua with Yuan Zhang overseeing the final editing. The English translation is the one by J. Sakkis and A. Sakkis. The china-ink drawings are made by the author.

ANNE HUA
Translator and interpreter, now serves as English editor for ‘‘Gallery Magazine’’. Graduated from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and obtained B.A. in British and American Literature in 2010. Mainly focuses on the translation of contemporary art and yoga, has been working for the art periodicals such as ‘‘Gallery Magazine’’, Fine Art Literature and The Art News Paper China and translated the painting albums and other publications for various arists and institutions. Translated and proofread several Iyengar yoga books. Now works and lives in Guangzhou, China.

ANGELOS SAKKIS
Was born in Greece. Immigrated to California, 1970. BFA SFAI, 1989. He has been translating Greek poetry to English and co-translating, with John Sakkis, the work of poet and multimedia artist Demosthenes Agrafiotis. His own work has appeared in ‘‘Ambush Review,’’ ‘‘Try and Hellenic Voices’’. His collections “Memory-of ” and “Fictional Character” were published by Zarax Books, 2012. “Travel log with Homer on my mind 2011” was published also in 2012 by Both Both Books. He lives in Oakland, California.

JOHN SAKKIS
Is the author of ‘‘The Islands’’ (Nightboat Books, 2015) and ‘‘Rude Girl’’ (BlazeVOX Books, 2009), as well as numerous chapbooks and ephemera. Since 2005 he has edited ‘‘BOTH BOTH’’, a little magazine of poetry and art. With Angelos Sakkis he has translated four books by Athenian poet Demosthenes Agrafiotis: most recently ‘‘Y’es and Diaeresis’’ (forthcoming Dusie Press, 2015); their translation of Agrafiotis’s ‘‘Maribor’’ (The Post-Apollo Press, 2011), was awarded the 2011 Northern California Book Award for Poetry in Translation. He lives in Oakland.

ZHANG YUAN
Translator. Stage playscripts from English to Chinese such as Samuel Beckett’s ‘‘Endgame’’, David Harrower’s ‘‘Black Bird’’, and from Chinese to English, ‘‘The Lost Opera’’ adapted from the Chinese Kun Opera ‘‘The Peony Pavilion’’; excerpts of fiction ‘‘Several Islands’’ written by the Singaporean novelist Ho Rui An which is published on the Chinese literaturebi-monthly ‘‘Chutzpah’’; and various articles for culture and art magazines.